February 18, 2007 ~ Seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time

Luke 6: 27-38

27 "But I say to you that hear, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, 28 bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you. 29 To him who strikes you on the cheek, offer the other also; and from him who takes away your coat do not withhold even your shirt. 30 Give to every one who begs from you; and of him who takes away your goods do not ask them again. 31 And as you wish that men would do to you, do so to them. 32 "If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. 33 And if you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners do the same. 34 And if you lend to those from whom you hope to receive, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, to receive as much again. 35 But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return; and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High; for he is kind to the ungrateful and the selfish. 36 Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful. 37 "Judge not, and you will not be judged; condemn not, and you will not be condemned; forgive, and you will be forgiven; 38 give, and it will be given to you; good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap. For the measure you give will be the measure you get back."

For Reflection and/or Discussion

Who are our enemies? What a strong word Jesus chooses! I do not know about you, but I am not aware of anyone who actually hates me personally. I do not think I encounter any people who despise me on any regular basis. Therefore, for this Scripture, I must take Christ’s words as applying to everyone I meet, whether they are friends, acquaintances, strangers, enemies, or even…family!

Jesus instructs us in this passage to give and give and give and give! That sounds like a devoted mother’s job description if I ever heard one! All are called to embrace true humility through self-sacrifice. When people continuously take from me, material and nonmaterial things, do I give generously or begrudgingly? How many times a day do my children “beg” for my attention? How many times do I give it to them with sincerity and respect? Do I respond to challenges to my beliefs or authority with appropriate meekness or with angry words and acts?

Think about the way others treat you: your spouse, your children, your friends, your relatives, your neighbors, a stranger, a cashier, etc... How would you like them to treat you differently? Do you treat them with the same courtesy? More? Less? I find admonishment in this lesson from Jesus. I know that often I am proud of the way I “love, do good, and lend” to my friends. When was the last time I gave “expecting nothing in return?” Do I expect to see the fruit of my generosity in this life? When I don’t see it, do I have faith in God’s kindness? He is kind even “to the ungrateful and the selfish.” That knocks me to my knees; I know I am ungrateful and selfish and do not deserve his kindness and mercy.

Speaking of mercy, how merciful am I to my kids? Do I model God’s forgiveness and gentleness for them? Do I judge others? Her house is neater/messier/fancier/plainer than mine. Her kids are more polite/rude/loud/quiet than mine. Do I judge myself? The verse says, “Judge not.” There is no mercy in judgment.

As moms, we are called to be self-sacrificing to our children and our husbands. There is a trend in the self-help industry that sacrificing too much is unhealthy; we must put ourselves first in order to serve others. I mostly disagree. Giving too much can be unhealthy, because we do have to take care of ourselves. What these “experts” do not know is that God will bless us when we put others first. The most blessings in my life come when I put my family first. It is only then when I am well-taken-care-of by my Father in Heaven. The balance is a constant struggle, deciding who to serve at any given moment: kids, house, husband, self, or others. Do I give until there is nothing left? When I fall into bed at the end of the day, have I given virtually everything I am to my vocation each day? (It is best, of course, if there is just a tad bit of us left when we go to bed with our hubbies!) Have I given with a joyful heart?

And finally, our Lord reminds me of my holiday baking. When you sift powdered sugar, there is so much more than before. Can you imagine pressing it down, squishing it firm, packing it into that one-cup measure until no more will fit? That’s a LOT of sugar! That’s God’s love for us! Sweet.

Don't draw back, and worse still, don't stop going up the Calvary of life. Jesus will extend His hand to steady you. The thought of the sustaining grace of God and the prize that Jesus has reserved for you will be a sweet comfort. ~ Saint Pio of Pietrelcina (Padre Pio)

February 11, 2007 ~ Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Luke 6: 17, 20-26

17 And he came down with them and stood on a level place, with a great crowd of his disciples and a great multitude of people from all Judea and Jerusalem and the seacoast of Tyre and Sidon, who came to hear him and to be healed of their diseases; 20 And he lifted up his eyes on his disciples, and said: "Blessed are you poor, for yours is the kingdom of God. 21 "Blessed are you that hunger now, for you shall be satisfied. "Blessed are you that weep now, for you shall laugh. 22 "Blessed are you when men hate you, and when they exclude you and revile you, and cast out your name as evil, on account of the Son of man! 23 Rejoice in that day, and leap for joy, for behold, your reward is great in heaven; for so their fathers did to the prophets. 24 "But woe to you that are rich, for you have received your consolation. 25 "Woe to you that are full now, for you shall hunger. "Woe to you that laugh now, for you shall mourn and weep. 26 "Woe to you, when all men speak well of you, for so their fathers did to the false prophets.

For Reflection and/or Discussion

These verses always bug me. How about you? Upon first reading, it appears Jesus is telling us we must be miserable in this world to be happy with Him in eternal life. We must be poor, hungry, mourning, and hated and even rejoice in these things. How can anyone do that? And, we certainly cannot be rich, full, laughing, or well thought of, or we won’t get to Heaven. But, I don’t think that is what Jesus is saying here. Do you? He DOES want us to be happy in this life and the next. The world is not evil; God created all things good. Jesus is reminding us, though, that our focus should not be the things of this world. Our focus should always be the things of Heaven.

If we are truly poor (and let’s face it; none of us looking at a computer screen in our own home can be defined as poor), we can seek riches in His Kingdom. If we are truly hungry, we can find satisfaction in the Lord. If we are truly mourning, we can find laughter in life through hope. If we are hated, excluded, reviled, and our name is cast out as evil, we can be blessed by Christ Jesus. It just takes faith. If we are rich and find consolation in our wealth, if we are full and find satisfaction in food, if we laugh and find joy in personal gratification, if we are spoken well of and are prideful in such words, that all means nothing. These gifts of this world are not evil, but if we separate them from the Lord, we actually have nothing.

I think Jesus is begging us to evaluate our lives by these challenging verses and strive to focus on the things of Heaven, not the things of earth. So, here we go…

Am I poor? ~ As I said, if you live in the US, this is highly unlikely. Do I squander money? Do I tithe a full 10% of my income to the Church and other charities? Do I stick to a budget? Do I have ANY credit card debt? Why? Do I shop too much? Do I have too many things: clothes, toys, books, shoes, rooms in my house, etc…? How can I find consolation in the Lord instead of these monetary things? Do I live modestly, so I can use any extra income to bless others?

Do I hunger? ~ “For what do I hunger?” might be a better question. Am I addicted to anything: chocolate, caffeine, food, nicotine, alcohol, shopping, reading, surfing, service, cleaning, sex, etc…? Instead do I hunger for true, just, and beautiful things with as much gusto? Our world is full of lies, injustice, and evil; is that what fills my days? What satisfies me? Do I find my satisfaction in the Lord? How can I find satisfaction in the Lord instead of other things? Do I hunger for Jesus, so that every day He is my first thought on rising and next to me every moment of the day?

Do I weep? ~ Does sin make my heart sad and my stomach twist? When I go to Confession at least once a month, am I truly sorry for my sins and resolved to do better? Do I even go to Confession at least once a month? Do I find new sorrow in each separation from God? Am I sad for the evil in this world? Do I offer sacrifices for the salvation of sinners? How can I find joy in the Lord’s mercy and true contrition for my sins and those of others? Do I pray for repentance and do acts of penance and mortification for myself and others?

Am I hated, excluded, reviled, and cast out as evil “on account of the Son of man?” ~ Do my neighbors know that I am Catholic? Am I fearful of what others may say if I speak of my faith publicly? Do I sacrifice my faith or at least put it on a shelf with certain family members or friends who may think I am a fanatic? Do I avoid confronting unbelievers? Do I blindly follow the majority on social and moral issues? Do I stand up for what is right? How can I stand up for my faith instead of hide it in certain situations? Do I evangelize regularly and make it a point to remind others of Jesus’ saving power?

Jesus wants us to be poor, hungry, mourning, and hated, so that we can love Him more perfectly!

As God pleases; as God wills. ~ Saint Colette

February 4, 2007 ~ Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Luke 5:1-11

1: While the people pressed upon him to hear the word of God, he was standing by the lake of Gennes'aret. 2: And he saw two boats by the lake; but the fishermen had gone out of them and were washing their nets. 3: Getting into one of the boats, which was Simon's, he asked him to put out a little from the land. And he sat down and taught the people from the boat. 4: And when he had ceased speaking, he said to Simon, "Put out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch." 5: And Simon answered, "Master, we toiled all night and took nothing! But at your word I will let down the nets." 6: And when they had done this, they enclosed a great shoal of fish; and as their nets were breaking, 7: they beckoned to their partners in the other boat to come and help them. And they came and filled both the boats, so that they began to sink. 8: But when Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus' knees, saying, "Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord." 9: For he was astonished, and all that were with him, at the catch of fish which they had taken; 10: and so also were James and John, sons of Zeb'edee, who were partners with Simon. And Jesus said to Simon, "Do not be afraid; henceforth you will be catching men." 11: And when they had brought their boats to land, they left everything and followed him.

For Reflection and/or Discussion

What a compassionate and creative God we have! Jesus knew the crowds could not see or hear Him well, so He climbed into a boat and preached from the lake. The crowds that were pressing around Him probably looked like today’s fans and reporters surrounding a Hollywood superstar, each desperate for just a glance, a smile, or even a touch. Or maybe they looked more like children, my children. “Mom, come look! You have to see this!” “Mom, tell me about {insert random subject here} now!” “Mama! Mama! Mama!” “Up! Up! Up!” Their desire for attention is insatiable. What about our desires? Do we desire Jesus like His fans at Gennes’aret? Do we crowd around His Word and His Body & Blood like paparazzi or hungry children? His Word is eternal. When is the last time I got excited to pray or spend time with Scripture?

Then, there are the fish. Despite his doubt, Simon Peter obeys the Lord, and the blessings are immediate. In fact, the blessings are so abundant that they overflow “to their partners in the other boat!” Do we expect this kind of abundance from God? A friend commented just yesterday that when we worry and doubt about God’s ability to provide for us, we are implying God has failed us in the past. What child, she shared, would question her earthly father’s ability to feed or clothe her? Don’t our children have confidence in our husbands? Do we have that same childlike confidence in our Heavenly Father? What blessings has God given me that have astonished me and proven His generosity? Even if we don’t deserve His gifts, they are given. How often do we demonstrate this to our children with our generosity towards them?

Finally, what would have happened if Simon Peter and his friends were modern-day businessmen? Perhaps the story would have a different ending: “Wow! Jesus, you are an amazing fisherman! Let’s do this every day. We’ll take the boat out; you catch the fish. The profits will be amazing!” But, instead “they left everything,” even the fish. Are we willing to leave behind everything for the Lord? What “fish” are we clinging to when instead we should cling to Christ? Are we courageous enough to completely follow God’s will if it means giving up blessings? God’s generosity is waiting to bless us ever more abundantly if we will just obey Him completely and leave behind all earthly attachments. The fish are great, but… This may be a good time to personally reflect and discuss as a family upcoming Lenten sacrifices. Do my children understand that Jesus calls us to sacrifice the good for what is better? Are they – am I – willing to give it all up?

Trust all things to Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament and to Mary Help of Christians and you will see what miracles are. ~ Saint John Bosco